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The 30th Avenue School

Grades: K-8
Staff Pick
28-37 29th Street
Queens NY 11102
Phone: 718-726-0501

Our Insights

What’s Special

An exploration room, computer programming and pre-engineering

The Downside

Lower and upper grades are housed at separate sites

The 30th Avenue School, also known as Q300, is a progressive, citywide G&T (gifted and talented) school designed for bright kids that highlights three core values: inclusion, inquiry and responsibility. There is a strong focus on engineering and technology throughout the grades; kindergartners study computer coding, 2nd-graders work in teams on engineering missions, and 6th-graders tackle Lego robotics. 

A typical day for the younger students includes time in the exploration room, where they indulge in creative problem-solving activities through play, such as building with blocks or Legos. Curiosity is fostered here and activities often center around children's questions: "Teachers ask a lot of questions here, and now my child is starting to ask me a lot of questions," said a parent.

Founding principal Matt Willard is a big believer in the role of exploration in a child's development. "Experiential learning is motivating for kids," he said. He grew up in Queens and the Bronx where he was enrolled in gifted classes, and wants to offer kids in Queens a progressive option. He earned a masters of science in special education and has taught both special education and general education classes at PS 153 in Maspeth, Queens. Prior to becoming a teacher, Willard was the preschool science coordinator at the New York Hall of Science.

The school aims to build responsibility in kids, and a cooperative culture. Younger children check in with each other during morning and closing meetings every day. The older ones meet four times a week in small advisory groups where they share goals and concerns. First-graders often work in groups of three; middle school students in teams of up to six. Parents said conflict resolution is actively and effectively pursued here.

The rationale behind the choice of math programs, primarily Investigations in Number, Data and Space, and Math in the City, is that they promote teamwork, projects and exploration, according to the administration. These goals are also fostered through CMP3 (connected math project 3) in the middle school.

Parents praised the school's balance of nurturing and academic challenge, and expressed relief at having found a school where their kids are "not criticized for being smart or nerdy." Yet they also seemed to be cautiously weighing the question of academic rigor and how it is best achieved. "Every G&T parent looks for a little bit of NEST and Anderson," said a 6th-grade parent, citing two schools known for fast-paced academics.

Parents are very active. In the school's inaugural year (2014-2015), with only three grades, they raised $60,000, which one said they planned to use to pay for teaching assistants in kindergarten. Through 2nd grade, homework is limited to nightly reading and some optional assignments. Starting in 3rd grade students receive homework in all core subjects.

Middle school students participate in an engineering lab where they design Rube Goldberg-type contraptions or create ways to clean up after a river oil spill. They participate in computer simulations of animal population growth and hold online debates. They also take field trips to the 9/11 Memorial Museum and the American Museum of Natural History, among other destinations.

Q300 replaces the STEM Academy, a smaller citywide G&T program that opened in 2009 inside PS 85. The new school will phase in over a few years at two locations: PS 17 for grades k to 4, and, beginning in the 2015-16 school year, IS 126 for grades 5 to 8.

Students already enrolled at the STEM Academy will remain at PS 85 through 5th grade and move on to 6th grade at the IS 126 location.

Q300's lower grades are housed on the fourth floor of PS 17. The congenial leaders from both schools meet weekly. All the elementary school students may participate in PS 17's fee-based after-school program.

ADMISSIONS: For grades K, 1, 2, 3, see guidelines for Gifted and Talented admissions at the NYC Department of Education website. For middle school, priority goes to students enrolled at STEM and then citywide. (Lydie Raschka, February 2015; admissions update 2022)

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School Stats

Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average

Is this school safe and well-run?

From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey

How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
95%
80% Citywide Average
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
34%
56% Citywide Average
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
57%
78% Citywide Average

From the 2019-20 NY State Report Card

How many students were suspended?
0%
1% Citywide Average

From this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Are teachers effective?

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
77%
82% Citywide Average
Years of principal experience at this school
2.7

How do students perform academically?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many elementary school students scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
99%
53% Citywide Average
How many elementary school students scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
98%
50% Citywide Average
How many middle school students scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
95%
52% Citywide Average
How many middle school students scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
95%
57% Citywide Average

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many 8th-graders earn high school credit?
99%
39% Citywide Average

Who does this school serve?

From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Enrollment
481
Asian
52%
Black
3%
Hispanic
10%
White
26%
Other
9%
Free or reduced priced lunch
26%
Students with disabilities
6%
English language learners
4%

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

Average daily attendance
96%
90% Citywide Average
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
7%
38% Citywide Average

From the 2020 School Directories

Uniforms required?
No

How does this school serve special populations?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many students with disabilities scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
0%
27% Citywide Average
How many students with disabilities scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
0%
21% Citywide Average
How many English language learners scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
0%
17% Citywide Average
How many English language learners scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
0%
12% Citywide Average


For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Contact & Location

Location

Astoria (District 30)
Trains: N Line, Q Line to 30 Ave-Grand Ave
Buses: M60-SBS, Q100, Q102, Q104, Q18, Q19, Q69

Contact

Principal
Sonita Ramkishun
Parent Coordinator
Jennifer Lando

Other Details

Shared campus?
Yes
This school shares the building with PS 17
Uniforms required?
No
Metal detectors?
No

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